, 1887-04-28

IN tGlS cUunecuOI an explanation
Of the nature and purposes OF the I.
) branch hydrograPnic Office Is
proper. Lieut.. j. s. Milton Is in
personal charge Of the branch in San
Francisco. and has been stationed in
chat city for several years past. Be-
tween three and IUur years ago The
branch or the Pacific coast was cs-
tablished at the bay city, unl it Is the
only one VS., Of the Rocky noun
tains. This pTancA Of the service IS
attached to the navy department,
and IS under the immediate control
Of the same 1t IS Of comparative
recent origin having heen established
only about six years ago. Branch
photographic offices are now main
tanned at New York. Boston, Balti-
more, New Orleans aud san FTaRcis-
ca.
These offices are established and
maintained expressly fer tho benefit
OF the marine and naval service and
for commerce generally. The time
BALI mentioned by Lieut.. Milton in
his letter Is used IN connection with
these branch offices, and is found a
most Ue"sGi arrangement. 1t serves
to the shipping ii the harbors the
same office which the town clock and
fire bell does in Portland. In some
centrally located point, which is very
conspicuous, 4 large uail' IS adjusted
to tall staff by having a hole
through the middle. and can be
caused to slide up aud down just as
may be desired This ball IS several
feet in diameter, and is made of light
material, usually cloth stretched over
hoops, crossing each other at right
angles. BY means OF . small cord
the ball is drawn to the top Of the
staff few minutes before noon each
day, and is suspended there by a
magnet attachment. Connectrd with
the magnets are insulated wires,
which lead to q battery Touching
telegraph key or button instantly
sends an electric current through
these wires, which detache5 the ball
and causes it to slide swiftly down
the staff. This time ball Is connected
with an observatory, or some station
where the exact time Is determined
by delicate collar instruments to with
in one-tenth OF a second. Precisely
at noon the key IS touched by the
officer IN charge, and down comes the
ball. Each day the proper observa-
tons are taken, so that the least pos
sible variation is detected and cor
rected. The descent of the ball is
carefully watched every day by
thousands Of persons, and chronome-
tor, watches and clocks are made to
cu-fOrT 10 the standard time thus
established. To sLifs in port the
time ball Is of special service. and the
masters look almost every day st It's
fall. and compare their chronomoters,
and 50 are enabled to keep exact
time.
Port Townsend has no such office,
and Lieut.. Milton's purpose in visit
ing this city Is to awaken an interest
in this matter True, the government
supports the service. but 1t Is done
through the usual channel Of appro-
riations. Some time ago Capt. Sc
bree. of the light house service here
wrote to tho proper department al
Washington asking to haze a TIME
bail established in Portland in the
interest Of shipping. He was ans
wered by the very sufficient argument
that there was no money to do il
with; that a spcial appropriation
would haAe to be made for that pur-
pose as funds cCald not be transfer
cd at the plsasuro of the heads of the
departments Congress viii have to
be petltioned TO make an uppropria-
ton. A few thousand dollars, it is
thought, will be ample to establish q
regular office here, and it could be
easily maintained by smrll rppropria,
.tlons each year. If it IS done, an
officer OF the navy will have to be de-
tailed to attend TO the duties.
Lieut.. MilOn, according to his letter.
will be here in a few days, and some
actloh may then be determined upon.
Ii the board of trade and other infiu-
ential citizens will request Delegate
Voorhees, TO make an effort, congress
will no doubt, at the comming ses-
sion, make an appropriation sufficient
to coTer the expenses. The benefits
that will result are too apparent to
require discussion. They ara self ev-
ldenC. BY ell meays branch hydro
graphic Office should he established
IN Port Townsend, and our citizens
will DO doubt cheerfully second
Lieut.. Milton's efforts in securing the
establishment here.